Let’s be honest—we’ve got snow coming. If you’ve got your home on the market and it’s currently vacant, there are seven things you need to do to prepare it for winter. 1. Give a key to a neighbor or friend who’ll be checking in on the property. Neighbors are usually the better choice in this regard because they’re in close proximity to the house. If something happens to the heating system and it’s 20 degrees or colder out, you only have about 24 hours before you lose the whole house. 2. Have the home winterized by a professional. This goes without saying. It might cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000, but how much will it cost you if the house freezes up? 3. Add glycol to the heating system. This is something you should discuss with your boiler professional so they can advise you on whether or not this is a good idea, but glycol will at least keep your home’s pipes from bursting.

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Adding glycol to your heating system will help keep your home’s pipes from bursting.

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4. Purchase or install a free alarm or a home monitoring system. There are a couple different things you can do with a freeze alarms. Some you can simply plug into the wall with a thermostatic switch and a light to notify your neighbor in case the temperature gets too cold. You can also get a Sensaphone. If you have questions about which one to buy, just email me and I’ll send you information about the one I like to use. 5. Get your boiler cleaned and serviced by a professional. We have some great vendors we can recommend to get this done for you. 6. Set your fuel on “autofill.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had sellers let their houses run out of fuel and let them freeze up. 7. Advise any other companies with accounts or services related to your home that it will be vacant and on the market, including your insurance company. With a lot of policies, if you don’t let them know after a month or two that your home is vacant, your insurance won’t cover it if something happens. If you have any questions about preparing your home for the winter or you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.

Why work with us?

Madden Real Estate is a unique concept for the Alaska real estate market. The first of its kind in Alaska, Madden Real Estate (MRE) is a locally owned, team-centric real estate firm specializing in residential, commercial real estate sales and exceptional client service. For the past four years, Madden Real Estate has been ranked as one of the top 50 teams in the U.S. according to the Wall Street Journal.

What our clients have to say

"Our beautiful new home had gone unsold after months on the market with another real estate firm. We turned to The Madden Team, and they enthusiastically showed us what they could do to help us connect with buyers. Within a matter of weeks, a happy new homeowner was moving in!!! We were so pleased with the whole process and can't wait to work with the Madden Team again soon!"

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"The Madden Team went over and above what I expected from an agent. I was offered a new position with my company and needed to sell as soon as possible, to close on another home. They immediately started the process and got the house listed and helped with setting it up to show. Within 2 weeks we had a full offer and the process went as smooth as expected. The team went far beyond expectations and helped with inspections and setting up appointments for some minor repairs. If you want expert help in purchasing or selling a home contact The Madden Team."

Client Audio Testimonials

Laura -"First of all, they sold my house very quickly at a fair price. They did all the legwork so I really was able to go to work and focus on what I needed to focus on in my life. They helped me buy a new house and they managed to coordinate both the sale and the purchase of my new house all on the same day. On one occasion Greg Merdes came out at 26 below zero to find the waste vents for our septic system because my husband was unable to do it. And so Greg borrowed his equipment from someone, came out, dug around, and found the waste vents and marked them on his own time and on a Sunday at 26 below zero. He did not have to do that."